The next 20-something phenom will have to wait until he’s a little further into his 20-somethings to make a big league impact.
San Diego Padres first base prospect Anthony Rizzo, 21, was optioned to Class AAA Tucson after the Padres beat the Florida Marlins on Thursday. Rizzo was hitting .143 and stuck in a 1-for-25 slump at the time of the demotion.
San Diego Padres first base prospect Anthony Rizzo, 21, was optioned to Class AAA Tucson after the Padres beat the Florida Marlins on Thursday. Rizzo was hitting .143 and stuck in a 1-for-25 slump at the time of the demotion. (AP Photo)
Taking Rizzo's place on the roster will be outfielder/first baseman Kyle Blanks who will be recalled from Class AAA Tucson. Blanks started the year in Class AA San Antonio but the 24-year-old was moved to Tucson very quickly. Between the two levels, Blanks is hitting .312 with 15 home runs and 52 RBIs.
Rizzo was the key piece the Padres received in the Adrian Gonzalez trade with the Boston Red Sox. Rizzo was a monster in the Pacific Coast League, hitting .365 with 16 home runs and 63 RBI’s at Tucson before he was summoned to the big club last month.
The Padres hesitated to promote Rizzo at first, but they pulled the trigger on June 9 and the buzz was great, not just in San Diego but nationally as people were anxious to see what the Padres got in return for Gonzalez.
Rizzo started hot, going 3-for-7 with a double, triple and home run and drew four walks after three games, and it appeared he’d be baseball’s next young superstar.
Then he completely fell off. Rizzo hit .121 (11-for-91) after those first three games and his only hit in his last 25 at-bats was a single. He’s also struck out 36 times in 98 at-bats.
“He carried himself incredibly well despite his struggles,” Padres general manager Jed Hoyer told the San Diego Union Tribune via e-mail.
“He worked hard, he never made excuses and he endeared himself to his teammates. Those are all attributes that will allow him to learn from this experience and will help him become a productive major league player.”
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